MWHS Vocalists Compete at Region 2AA Contest; Senior Monica Shukle Earns "Best in Site" Honor

By Lorrie Ham

Buffalo High School was a busy place April 12 as 9th-12th grade students prepared for the Region 2AA Solo & Ensemble Contest. The high school musicians perform before adjudicators for a rating and constructive comments. MWHS vocalists earned 11 Superior, and 10 Excellent ratings, in addition to a “Best in Site” honor for senior Monica Shukle.

“Of particular note is Monica Shukle's solo,” praised Choir Director Kate Larson. “She received a perfect score of 40, and was awarded a ‘Best in Site’ from her judge. This means that her judge chose her as the best event she saw the whole evening.”

Schools participating included Buffalo, Dassel-Cokato, Delano, Hutchinson, and Orono. Ratings range from the lowest mark of fair to good to excellent to the highest rating of superior.

In the contest students perform either a solo with piano accompaniment or in a small ensemble—duets, trios, quartets or larger ensembles. Madd Jazz, the district’s auditioned vocal group received a Superior rating. Members include: Nate Barnes, Isabel Barnhart, Maddy Isaacs, Hogan Kelly, Lauren McDonald, Zack McDowell, Matthew Sheehan, Monica Shukle, Shelby Smith and Abe Thaler. 

Superior ratings also went to solos by Jackie Burriss, Naomi Jackson, Kelly, Anna Malchow, Sheehan, Shukle, Smith and Addia Troyer. Shukle and Isaacs earned a Superior for their duet, as did the tenor-bass ensemble of Barnes, Dacoyta Camp, Kelly, McDowell, Brian Nguyen, Sheehan and Thaler. 

Excellent ratings went to soloists M. Isaacs, Sara Jones, McDonald and Veronica Spurbeck. Earning Excellent ratings for their duets were: Camp and Jane Isaacs; Alisyn Doering and Sheehan; Suzie Johnson and McDonald; Kelly and Jackson, and Malchow and Troyer. 

An Excellent rating also went to the soprano-alto ensemble of Kali Ellingson, Michelle Jones, Tayor Kaiser, Tyana Monette, Maddy Peterson, Sydnie Peterson and Spurbeck.